


The World You Left, It Forgot Your Name

by LesboDyke, Mistreve, whokilledlaurapalmer



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Multi, Slow Burn, Time Travel, mythical creatures AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-14
Updated: 2018-01-04
Packaged: 2019-02-14 15:07:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,840
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13010376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LesboDyke/pseuds/LesboDyke, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mistreve/pseuds/Mistreve, https://archiveofourown.org/users/whokilledlaurapalmer/pseuds/whokilledlaurapalmer
Summary: Akko learns first hand why you don't go walking in English Forests without knowing your Mythology.





	1. Falling Through the Fairy Ring

**Author's Note:**

> The most common line spoken by LesboDyke while writing this chapter was "I am not writing porn. I am not writing porn." So that should give you some hints of how gay this is from the get-go.

“Don’t stray from the path, dear.” The old woman who ran the B&B had cautioned when Akko had told her she planned on taking a nature walk through the Forest of Dean. To which Akko had rolled her eyes and waved the warning off as the self-serving worry that if she got lost, she wouldn’t be able to pay her bill.

She had her hair tied back in her usual mess of a ponytail, her favorite bright pink bomber jacket tied hastily around her waist, and a kodak hanging on a strap around her neck; she planned on getting as many pictures of the forest and it’s wildlife as she could manage. She was trying to get the perfect shot of some white rabbits bounding across the pathway, crouching and retreating backwards to try and fit all of them into the frame. Not caring to look behind her, she didn’t see the raised, bright ring of grass. But even if she had, Akko had no idea what it meant. She didn’t even realise she was trapped until she tried to retreat further backwards and found herself unable to.

“ _What the…?_ ” She questioned, frowning and spinning in place. Akko tried walking forward, only to find the same problem. She couldn’t leave the patch of grass she was stood on. The ring of brighter grass seemed to be growing at an impossible rate. It had barely been higher than the sole of her sneakers when she’d first looked at it, but it was already at ankle height, and still growing. Akko tried not to panic, but that plan went out of the window by the time the grass was knee high. She threw herself at the invisible wall that was holding her in place, but to no avail. She was well and truly trapped.

The grass passed over her face, leaving her surrounded by a barrier of green and wholly alone. Suddenly, a slender, delicate hand passed between the grass. Akko didn’t even think, gripping at the fingers and allowing herself to be pulled through the sea of blades.

The forest had completely vanished. The ground underneath her light-up Sketchers felt firmer and flatter, and the shift made her stumble momentarily. Adjusting her eyes to the completely new scene before her, she now seemed to be in a busy, bustling town square, surrounded by the most beautiful women she’d ever seen. She whipped her head from left to right, taking in the scenery; the buildings crowded together and towered haphazardly atop of one another, the brick paths seemed to shimmer as if made of pure gold, and the women- _well..._

“Where am I?” Akko questioned, shaking her drifting thoughts away. She spun in place again to try and find some landmark she recognised, something that might signify where she was or how she’d arrived. As she turned back to face the woman who had pulled her from the grass, Akko was surprised by how little panic she was actually feeling now. Perhaps, it was due to how overtaken she was by the immaculate beauty of the lady before her; it was of a degree she had never witnessed before; ethereal even. Regardless of the reasons, Akko felt comforted and safe.

“You’re in Elphame, my dear.” The woman’s voice was musical and soft, like silk against her ears, adding to the uncharacteristic calmness that was already beginning to envelop Akko. Was there music playing? Akko was certain she could hear some, even though she couldn’t see anything that could be producing such harmonious sounds. “You’ve had a long journey, little one. My name is Beatrix, what shall we call you?” It took Akko a moment to realise she was being asked a question, and another second to decide how to properly respond.

“Akko. My name is Akko.” She shook her head, attempting to clear the fog encircling it. It didn’t work very well, as the thick mist instantly returned once Beatrix smiled at her in a way that made the world seem to melt around her into nothingness.

“Welcome, Akko. Come, let us attend to you. There is to be a party tonight to honour your arrival, you must be dressed properly.” Normally any insult against her fashion sense would make Akko rage and huff, but for some reason she simply nodded. Of course, she wasn’t dressed properly for a party. Certainly not a party full of people as beautiful as Beatrix. In fact, she had trouble remembering why she was dressed so disorderly in the first place and why she had a camera around her neck. Either way, it was quite embarrassing to look so unpresentable in front of someone so objectively gorgeous beyond comprehension.

Akko couldn’t remember being taken to a bath-house, but that was where she found herself, steadily divesting herself of her clothes and setting them aside. She did her best not to stare as Beatrix unclipped the broach that seemed to be all that was holding her dress up. The material pooled at the woman’s feet, and Akko’s brain stopped working for a full ten seconds. She went to apologise, once she was able to form a thought again, but Beatrix was still smiling.

“Come now, Akko, if you simply stare, we’ll never have you ready in time.” Beatrix motioned to Akko’s shoes and jeans, which she discarded quickly, along with her underthings. She felt inadequate standing next to someone so beautiful. But it didn’t seem to phase Beatrix in the slightest, who reached out and took Akko’s hand yet again. Akko couldn’t help but think about those hands touching her in other places, and quickly found her face burning a dangerous red colour.

Akko was led into a communal bath-house, each of the pools seating a few women, all beautiful in different ways. Akko struggled not to let her eyes linger inappropriately. Beatrix lead her to a bath near the end that was empty and ushered her inside.

“We saved this one for you, Akko.” Akko wondered how they’d known she’d be coming. She was certain that she hadn’t been _planning_ on coming to this place. But she didn’t question aloud, perhaps she had simply forgotten, after all, it was her nature to be so absent-minded. Instead, she tentatively slipped into the water. The temperature was perfect. If she had been anywhere else, Akko would have been shocked to find the temperature to her full liking. For some reason, in Elphame, it made sense that her bathwater was perfect. It just did.

Akko allowed herself to relax into the water, even pushing away from the wall to discover it was more like a contained lake, with the floor dropping away rather suddenly. Sucking in a deep breath, Akko dove beneath the surface, swimming down as far as she could manage to see if she could find some form of floor. She couldn’t, although she did notice that she had held her breath for far longer than ever before.

“Come now, Akko. Let me wash your hair.” Beatrix was sat at the edge of the bath, motioning for Akko to rest between her legs. Akko didn’t think much of it as she swam over, settling on the underwater ledge with her back to Beatrix. A soft hand found it’s way to her forehead, shielding her eyes as more water was poured over her hair. Akko had never been more grateful to have her back to someone. As Beatrix’s fingers began to massage Akko’s scalp, her face simply got redder and redder. She was almost, just _almost_ , relieved when it came time to rinse, the water cascading down her back. Akko hoped that if anyone asked, she could convince them that the change in her skin colour was due to the heat of the water, rather than anything else.

“Are we done?” Akko questioned when she heard Beatrix stand. She swiveled around to look at the other woman’s face, not quite wanting to get out of the water just yet. Beatrix nodded, reaching into a hole in the wall that Akko hadn’t noticed, and producing a towel. Once that was affixed, obscuring Beatrix’s form from view, she produced another one, holding it open for Akko with a kind smile.

“Come, we should get you dressed for the party, Akko.” Beatrix encouraged in her addictingly sweet voice. That was more than enough convincing to get Akko out of the water and into the towel. Strangely, the air between didn’t feel cold, as Akko had expected it to. But it was still nice, being wrapped in a towel that felt so warm and velvety and plush.

Akko felt like she’d only blinked, and yet, she was stood in a different room, soft carpet replacing the cold, harsh tile that had been beneath her bare feet. Beatrix was dressed again, but Akko was still wrapped in her towel.

“Here, Akko, this one is for you.” Beatrix was holding out a dress, similar to the ones every other woman she’d seen wearing, but this was a softer, lighter pink. Akko reached out, fingers brushing against the material. It was the finest material that had ever graced her fingers, sleeker than the fanciest silk in the world.

“Will it fit?” Akko asked, wondering if they’d known her size before she’d arrived. Had she been planning this visit? Surely she must’ve. She attempted to find the memory of it, but Beatrix was smiling again, and Akko forgot what she’d been thinking.

“Of course it will fit, Akko. It was made for you.” Beatrix assured her, passing the material to Akko with care. “You get dressed, I’ll be waiting outside with some friends. They’re all dying to meet you, Akko.” Akko nodded, wondering who the friends might be. She didn’t think she knew anyone here, but her brain felt so fogged up that she was likely wrong.

“Thank you.” Akko managed a smile, feeling the heat rising in her cheeks once again as Beatrix rested her hand on her shoulder for a moment before leaving the room.

Akko dressed with the utmost haste, amazed to find that the dress did indeed fit her perfectly. She also found that she’d been left some sandals near the door of the bedroom she was stood in. Once she was fully dressed, Akko opened the door slowly, almost anxious as to who she’d find on the other side.

“There you are, Akko!” It was Beatrix that greeted her, but she was surrounded by other, equally beautiful women. Akko just managed a shy wave, wondering if fainting was a socially acceptable option. Her wrist was grabbed, she wasn’t sure by who, and she was dragged down the hallway.

“There’s a party being thrown for you, Akko!”

“Yes, Akko, you can’t be late to your own party!”

Voices spoke, but Akko couldn’t assign them to individual women. She felt almost drunk, though she hadn’t had anything to drink at all since she’d arrived. Or had she? In fact, it was difficult for her to recall arriving at all. The vague thought that she’d been drugged floated through her head, before departing in a puff of smoke, as if it had never occurred to her in the first place.

Before Akko had chance to think or process, she was in the middle of a dance, being swung and passed from partner to partner. The music was lively, carrying her mind farther and farther away, leaving Akko feeling light on her feet as she danced. Then there was food: sweet cakes, deliciously flaky pastries and pies, and fruits more succulent than she’d ever tasted. Glass after glass of wine she drank, the fizzling flavours ranging between each sip, yet all equal in their exquisite taste.

When she had to sleep, which didn’t seem to happen as often as Akko thought it would, she slept on a bed large enough to comfortably fit ten people, wrapped in heavenly blankets that would make the Queen, herself, jealous.

Diana didn’t like coming into the town, so she often didn’t. She and her mother were happy in their home, away from the parties, the dancing, and the irritating bureaucracy. Of course, some trips were unavoidable, such as this one. Her mother had required a book from the Great Library, and Diana, not wanting to be left home by herself, accompanied her. But she was still considered too young to be allowed entry into the Great Library itself. You had to be at least 200 years old to pass through the front doors, and she had only just reached her 150’s. So Diana sat on the steps outside, resting her head in the palm of her hand and tapping her foot along with the music from a few streets over.

A few dancing Fae had passed Diana and attempted to convince her to join them. She’d politely declined each time.

“Oh come on!” The latest Fae insisted, reaching and tugging on Diana’s arm. “We’ve got a human! She’s nearly been here two weeks and she’s still going strong! You have to come and see her!” Diana had to admit, the thought of seeing a Mortal was one that appealed to her. But she knew what happened to Mortals who found themselves in Elphame. It wouldn’t be long before this Mortal was barely more than a shell, hollow and helpless. She shuddered to think about it; how cruel the act really was when she tore it down in her mind.

“No, thank you.” Diana insisted, pulling her arm free. “I am waiting for my Mother, she’s inside the Great Library.” At mention of her Mother, the other Fae released Diana, taking a step back and frowning; disappointed.

“You hatchlings look older every time.” She scoffed, rolling her eyes before scurrying away to rejoin the party. Diana ignored the comment, but she couldn’t forget the thought of the poor Mortal. She likely didn’t mean to even come to Elphame, but now she’d die here. Maybe there was something that could be done to help the Mortal, though what it was, Diana didn’t know.

“Diana? Are you quite alright?”

Diana didn’t notice how tense she had become; stuck in her musings, she hadn’t heard her mother approach. Startled by the sound, Diana jumped at bit before looking up at her Mother. Immediately, she felt a flicker of hope light up inside of her. The sun caught in her Mother’s hair, making the red glow brighter than it normally did.The hope continued to grow, blossoming in her chest. If anyone could help her, it would be her Mother.

“There’s a Mortal.” Diana started, standing slowly. “That’s why the party is so loud. Is… is there nothing we can do to help her?” Her mother sighed, clearly considering it.

“Let us head home.”

“Mother-!”

“And we shall attempt to formulate a plan.” Diana launched herself forward, wrapping her Mother in a tight hug.

“Thank you!” Chariot smoothed her hand over her daughters hair, smiling a little. She couldn’t stop the little bit of self congratulation that flowed through her at the knowledge that she’d raised someone so selfless.

“Come on, we can begin our plan as we walk.” Chariot encouraged, gently nudging Diana out of the hug. Still, Diana took Chariot’s arm as they began to walk.

Chariot hated the fact that Diana was being exposed to, what she considered, the darker side of the Fae society. She’d done her best to keep her daughter away from all of this, the trickery and mischief and mortal bothering. Of course, she’d done her fair share of less than kind things in her youth, but she’d hoped her own Hatchling would be better than she ever was.

And thankfully it did look like Diana was going to be better than her and all the others, given how she wished to aid the Mortal, rather than simply stand aside and let it happen. Or worse still, join in with the ‘party’.

“Does helping mean…?” Diana asked, once they were free of the mismatched streets and on the long road out of Town, dread building up in the pit of her stomach. Chariot quickly shook her head.

“Goodness no. While that may be kinder than leaving the mortal to suffer at the hands of the others, I had simply hoped to smuggle them out of Elphame.” Chariot already had a half formed plan on how she might manage such a feat. Before she had Diana, Chariot had spent time exploring Elphame, and knew ways in and out of the kingdom that were likely lost to all bar the Queen. Diana relaxed at her Mother’s assurance, and smiled slightly.

“Does this mean I’ll get to visit the Mortal realm?” Diana sounded far too fascinated by that possibility, but Chariot could hardly leave her. If they were suspected, trouble would befall them both, and it would be safer to keep her daughter close.

“Yes, I suppose it does.” Chariot agreed, using her free hand to lightly ruffle Diana’s hair. “But we hopefully shan’t be staying there long. The Mortal realm is no place for someone so young.” Chariot watched in amusement as Diana’s face fell slightly. She fixed her hair, before shooting a displeased glance up at her Mother.

“I’ve read your journals. You went to live in the Mortal realm when you were my age. You managed fine.” Memories of a wolfish grin and flashes of fur engulfed Chariot for a moment, before she sighed.

“I was tempted from home by a powerful source. I was kept safe by-” Chariot shook her head. Diana was still too young for those tales. Diana would _always_ be too young for those tales in her eyes. “-That is besides the point. You’re still young, Diana. I want what’s best for you, and what’s best for you is not in the Mortal Realm. We’ll help this human, and then return home. Perhaps when you’re older and wiser, you can venture outside of Elphame for a true journey.” Chariot hoped that day would never come. “But for now, you’ll stay with me.”

Diana sighed, knowing it was pointless to argue. She was aware that the journals she’d read had been altered with magic, to keep her from learning certain things. One of them was clearly whatever had kept her mother safe, out in the world of men.

“So what’s your plan?” Diana questioned, once their little cottage came into view. She looked up to find her Mother grinning wickedly. Diana couldn’t help the fluttering sensation overtaking her as Chariot began to explain how they’d help the Mortal.

It would all start in the morning.


	2. The Daring Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chariot and Diana smuggle Akko out of Elphame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got away from us a little. Also, Diana is a hopeless Gay and Chariot is an over protective Mum.

Diana had never been to this part of Elphame before. Her mother had asked her to wait here, in a clearing at the edge of the forest, while she went to collect the Mortal. Diana had tried to argue, bringing up the point that despite being a hatchling, she was quite mature for her age, but it hadn’t exactly worked. She was still too young and would get noticed, she also didn’t know the streets as well and was liable to get lost, not to mention it would be less suspicious if it was just one person carrying the mortal. Chariot had listed the reasons why Diana had to wait each time she had attempted to argue, until finally Diana had conceded and begrudgingly agreed to wait at the meeting point.

The downside to Diana agreeing to wait was that it allowed her far too much time to worry. And worry she did. There were many things that could go wrong, and with her being stuck here, rather than in town with her Mother, Diana wouldn’t know until it was too late. She’d already located a good hiding place, near the meeting point. She was an excellent climber, and there was a tree close enough for her to scramble up, should she need to.

Diana sighed, sitting on a large rock and running her hands over her face. Her hair fell about and obscured the world around her. She could hear her Mother’s voice in her head.

_You worry too much, darling._

It wasn't as if Diana had much choice in whether she would worry or not. With the sense of compassion her mother had instilled within her, a situation such as this, worry was all she could do. She leaned back to look upwards and she pushed her hair back into a tousled but vaguely kempt mess.

_Think. Take a breath. Mother knows what she's doing. I simply need to wait._

To occupy her boredom, Diana focused until she felt an shiny red apple settle into the palm of her hand. She wasn’t really hungry, but Diana felt like she should do something to ease the struggle of passing time, otherwise she might give in to her anxieties and hurry into town to try and help her mother, despite it being against the plan.

As confident as Chariot was in her reassurance, she didn’t want to admit there was a large potential for absolutely irredeemable failure if something went wrong. But she knew it was in her best interest not to entertain those scenarios, after all if there was one thing she was good at, it was deception. For example, now, she had to disguise herself with a bit of illusionary magic in order to blend in among the crowd. Visualizing it in her mind, her usual bob of bright red hair elongated into a long, flowing waterfall of dark blue, which she quickly tied into a ponytail as if second nature. Reaching back into her mind, she snapped her fingers and a pair of glasses appeared in her hand. Smirking to herself, Chariot put on the glasses and with one last snap of her fingers, changed her dress into a long black one; it was easier to hide in the shadows that way. She quickly gave herself a once-over in a nearby shop window. A knowing grin crept over her face.

She looked pretty good.

Chariot quickly shook her head. Now was not the time to check herself out, she still had a major task to accomplish; a life at stake. After all, she had promised Diana she would do everything she could to help this Mortal, and she had meant it. Not just for Diana, but the mortal, too.

She heard a group of Fae giggling to one another in the distance and she quickly hid herself in the darkness of a nearby narrow alley, conveniently just large enough for her to squeeze into. Holding her breath, Chariot kept as quiet as possible as the group passed by, making sure to pick up every word spoken.

“Two weeks? Unbelievable! The last human we had barely made it a few days until we completely drained him out.” One voice spoke. The crowd broke out in laughter.

“I remember him!” Another voice chimed in. “He was the rather handsome one, wasn’t he? What had he called himself again? Andrew, was it?”

“Yes! Andrew!” The first voice responded. “He was so much fun to play around with.”

“Too bad he was so short-lived.”

“Really a shame he was spent so soon,” another snickered.

“According to Beatrix, this one has a lot of energy. I wonder if she’ll set a new record?”

The group burst out in various sharp cackles. Chariot could feel hot rage bubbling deep inside of her, hearing these Fae talk about humans like they were just toys, playthings meant to be used up and discarded like trash. She despised it, but if she expressed that opinion, she was brushed aside. Ignored. Sometimes even mocked much like the mortals they drained. She knew the other Fae blamed her time in the Mortal world, making her one of them. Chariot shook her head quickly. Now was not the time for memories of the Mortal world, she had a job to finish.

_Focus._

Beatrix. Chariot recognized the name. Though she was unfamiliar with the exact location of her residence, she had no doubt in her mind that most of the passing crowds were headed there. All she needed to do was keep a far enough distance from the noisy gaggle of women as they made their way over to Beatrix’s. Waiting a few moments longer for the voices to fade, Chariot wiggled herself out of the alleyway and followed the crowd from further behind, making sure to keep her head down and her footsteps light.

Zig-zagging throughout the many roads that ran through the city, Chariot kept a close eye, making sure not to lose the group ahead of her but also keeping mind to stay as inconspicuous as she could. Finally, after what seemed like forever, they approached a large building; yellow light was glowing out every visible window and lively upbeat music almost seemed to make the entire house tremble. The growing crowd around the front door was the last clue Chariot needed. Quickly, she folded herself into the indistinguishable horde in order to get a closer look at the front door.

She held back a curse with her teeth, there was a woman at the door with a guest list. Of course it wasn’t going to be as easy as walking inside. Chariot didn’t give herself a second to be disappointed, and instead, broke away to walk around the perimeter of the building. Turning around the corner to the backside, she noticed a few stories up that one of the lights was turned off. This was going to be her best bet if she wanted to sneak into the party unnoticed.

Conveniently enough, thick vines of ivy ran down from the rooftop. Chariot approached the plant and gave it a firm tug; it was affixed well in the grooves between the brickwork, she just had to pray that it would hold all her weight. Twisting her head around to make sure nobody had followed her around to the back, she grabbed onto the vine and hoisted herself up. So far so good. Now she had to hurry in case somebody _did_ see her.

While she didn’t ever admit to it, Chariot had phenomenal upper body strength, which gave her a great advantage when it came to climbing quickly. It only took her a minute or so before she had reached the darkened window. Closing her eyes, she imagined the window in front of her, the glass slowly fading into nothing. Once she opened them again, the glass separating them had disappeared.

She reached up a hand and grabbed tightly onto the windowsill, using it to pull herself up onto it. Leaning the upper half of her body inside, she peered around in the darkness.The only sound she heard was a loud snore to her right. Looking over, she saw someone tucked away in a large bed, surrounded by plush pillows.

Regaining her strength, Chariot pushed the rest of her body into the room, folding into a somersault to soften the landing. She wasted no time jumping back up to her feet, knees bent, read for action.

Again, there seemed to be no other sign of life in the room aside from the slumbering person in the nearby bed. Curious, Chariot leaned over to examine them closer, pulling back one of the many pillows obscuring her face. As soon as she took a close look at the young girl’s face, she immediately knew that she was the Mortal, there was immediate asymmetry in her eyes and the shape of her nose.

A sudden rush of adrenaline began to flow through Chariot as she leaned closer, trying to assess if the Mortal was still alive. She held a finger under the nose and feel a breath, albeit a bit shallow. Wasting no time, Chariot took great care to gently pull away the pillows and blankets surrounding the girl, taking great caution not to wake her. She shifted in her sleep before her eyes slowly opened. Chariot froze, realizing that she would be at great risk if the girl woke up before they left the realm. Sighing to herself, she pointed at the girl and shot a tiny ball of light from her fingertips, pinging her in the forehead and, in turn, knocking her out again.

“Sorry about that,” Chariot whispered as she hoisted the girl over her shoulders. “But we’ve got somewhere to be.”

Diana heard the footsteps long before she could see anyone making their way through the trees. She moved carefully, hiding herself behind the rock she’d been sitting on. She couldn’t imagine it being anyone other than her Mother, but just in case. She’d realised, after her third apple, that her plan of climbing the tree would leave her rather trapped. She would have better luck simply running.

The footsteps were heavier than the ones Diana was used to, but the reason why become clear once her Mother came into view. She had the mortal balanced on her back.

“Mother!” Diana hurried from her hiding place, pulling to a stop in front of Chariot, realising she couldn’t realistically hug her. Not to mention, Diana’s attention was caught by the sleeping mortal resting on her mother’s back. Diana had never seen a mortal before, and she hadn’t been entirely sure what it was she was expecting, but it certainly wasn’t what was before her now. Upon closer inspection, Diana deduced that the girl looked peaceful, though she was certain that was because she was resting. And while her face was not as symmetrical or flawless as the face of a Fae, it had its own unique charm of sorts. Diana had a feeling she would be able to look at the mortal all day and still find new flaws and interesting things about her, something she had never been able to do with a Fae before.

Chariot recognised the look on her Daughter’s face. It was the same look that Diana had worn when Chariot had been teaching her about her powers. Of course, it had been on a much smaller face at the time, but it was the same look. Chariot felt a pang of loss for the small Hatchling that Diana had been. It was the look of fascination, of someone young who wanted to learn everything about the world. It was a look that Chariot had worn, centuries before, when she’d lain eyes on what she thought was her first Mortal.

“Diana, we haven’t time. We must get through the cave before she is missed.” Chariot reminded her daughter, carefully hoisting the mortal higher on her back. Diana nodded, seeming to snap herself out of her reverie. She glanced around the clearing.

“Where is the exit?”

“Through here.” Chariot motioned with her head through the trees. Diana frowned, having looked that way for long periods more than a handful of times. There didn’t seem to be anything that Diana would consider an exit. “Trust me, Hatchling. I know what I’m doing.” Chariot began to walk, knowing that Diana was walking right beside her. It took a moment before they reached the cave. “Diana, once we go through, I don’t want you to leave my sight. It will all be new for you, and I don’t want you getting hurt.”  Chariot faced her daughter, seriousness written over every inch of her face. Diana nodded, playing with her own fingers. She wanted to reach out, to take her mother’s hand. Now that she was on the brink of getting something she’d wanted for as long as she could remember, Diana was scared. Anything could happen to them.

Chariot adjusted the Mortal’s weight carefully, freeing one hand and cupping Diana’s cheek. “We won’t be staying long, Hatchling. Just long enough to explain to the Mortal what happened to her. Then we can go home, there’s nothing to be afraid of.” Diana nodded into her Mother’s hand, and Chariot smiled, quickly moving to support the Mortal again. It would do no good to return her to the mortal realm with a broken tailbone or something similar.

Now that Chariot was sure that her daughter was calm enough, she began to walk into the cave. This time, Diana wasn’t directly beside her. Chariot looked back, worry creasing her face.

“Diana?”

Diana took a deep breath, steadying herself. She looked to the mortal on her mothers back, and then to her mother. She nodded, stepping forward. The plan had worked, they were basically in the clear. Now was not the time for Diana to be afraid. Chariot smiled reassuringly, continuing through to the back of the cave.

Diana noticed that after a while, the cave stopped getting darker, and instead she was nearly certain that she could see a light at the end. Diana glanced up at her mother again, watching her expression change into one Diana didn’t recognise. But she was pretty sure it was excitement mixed with something else. Diana wondered if it was to do with what she hadn’t been allowed to read in Chariot’s journals. Diana had theorised that her mother had fallen in love, possibly with a Mortal, and she didn’t want her to know. Perhaps there had been heartbreak, given how mortals aged and withered, while they, themselves, remained unchanging to the years.

Seemingly out of nowhere, they broke into weak sunlight. Diana could hear bird calls, and the sound of rustling as wind played between the branches of trees. Chariot continued to walk, seeming confident in where she was going, and Diana hurried to keep up with her.

“Where are we, Mother?” Diana asked, looking around in awe. Even the trees looked different. Darker, less alive than the ones in Elphame.

“Near a human settlement known as Llanddulas. There’s a place that I used to stay nearby.” Chariot explained. She could feel the mortal beginning to stir and wanted to reach the house before she awoke. Chariot didn’t really want to have to use magic to make the child sleep again, but she would if she awoke before they reached their destination. The mortal would be desperate to return to Elphame until she consumed something from the mortal realm. It would be easier to ensure her safety somewhere enclosed.

They reached the clearing where Chariot knew she’d left her house. It was invisible to the naked eye; a protection spell she’d left to make sure that it wasn’t taken over or removed. It took Chariot a moment to remember the intention that she’d set the barrier to. She had to be sure no one would stumble through my accident. And then, as if the forest was a chalk drawing that someone had poured water on, the small house appeared. It was only simple, but it brought both memories and a smile to Chariot.

Chariot could feel the mortal shifting a little more, and she hurried towards the front door. “Diana, please get the door.” She asked, thankful that Diana seemed to understand the urgency. The door creaked, loud and whining, but the inside was just as Chariot had left it. She drew in a deep breath, and released it, channeling her attention through the breath. That was enough to clear the dust from the entirety of the house. Their powers may be weaker in this realm, but Chariot had enough practice to be able to perform such a simple task.

Chariot was careful as she lay the mortal on the large dinner table. It wouldn’t be comfortable, but it would hold her. “Diana, watch her. I just need to fetch some water from the well.” Chariot explained. Diana nodded, glancing at the mortal on the table, before back to her mother. Chariot smiled, kissing her daughter's forehead. “We’ll be home before you know it, Hatchling. Nearly there now.” Chariot assured, before hurriedly ducking outside.

Now that she was alone with the mortal, Diana crouched next to the table, placing herself face to face with the girl. Diana wondered on the colour of her eyes. That was the only thing that Diana hadn’t seen of the mortal yet. They could be a deep blue like her own, or possibly a wine coloured red, like her mothers. Diana had seen some Fae with glowing golden eyes, and she wondered if it were possible for mortals to have the same.  
Whatever the colour, Diana was certain that the mortal girl would be even more fascinating once she was awake. Diana could see lines on her face, not deep set, but there enough that she could see them. And although no Fae had them etched permanently, Diana recognised them as the crinkles that would normally come with smiling, or laughter. Diana smiled to herself. She was rather looking forward to meeting this mortal girl, once she awoke.

Akko rolled in her sleep, dreaming pleasantly of beautiful women hand-feeding her various fruits. It was like a dream within a dream and Akko never ever to wake up from it. However, something was off, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Tossing around again, her eyes slowly fluttered open, the women faded away and the lively glow of her dream was replaced by a strange darkness, accompanied by beautiful girl staring down at her, this time, one she hadn’t seen before. She was so close to her face too. Akko felt her cheeks burn and slowly reached an hand up to touch Diana’s face.

“Oh dear,” Diana whispered, pulling away from the mortal’s reach, eyes widening. “This isn’t good, oh dear.” She hopped up to her feet, looking around frantically for something that could aid her somehow, despite not completely knowing what to do in the first place.

Akko blinked a couple of times before finding the strength to sit up. Almost mechanically, she looked around the dark, empty building, her eyes strangely glazed over. Her focus settled back on Diana and she emitted a warm smile toward her. A gesture that made Diana freeze up.

“I’m Akko. Are you going to the party too?” Akko said, her voice monotone and trance-like.

Diana, simultaneously intrigued by the unique timbre of the mortal’s voice and frightened by the foreignness of talking to one, found herself utterly unable to say anything. Clearing her throat, she knew she had to figure out something to distract the mortal long enough until her mother came back.

“I…” Diana steepled her fingers together, her eyes darting everywhere _but_ at Akko, finding her curious, doe-eyed gaze more intimidating than she would’ve imagined. “I- I’ve come to escort you home, er, since the party's all over now.” Diana feigned a polite smile, ignoring how quickly her heart was racing.

“Over?” Akko tilted her head. “No, no, no, Beatrix said the party was just for me. It’s my party!” She slowly stood up to her feet. “And you can come too if you want! Everyone’s invited-”

Akko began to motion toward the door and without time for any further, or more beneficial thought, Diana leapt onto her, pushing her back to the floor with a muffled _thump._ It wasn’t until Diana looked down that she saw Akko looking right back at her, her bright, red eyes looking at her with a mixture of muted bewilderment and awe.

“M-my apologies, you simply must stay here.” Diana managed to say, her eyes flicking over the peculiar features of Akko’s face for a moment before pulling herself back into focus. It probably wasn't Diana's best idea to push the poor girl around, but she didn't want to risk using any magic on her, so physical restraint had to do for now, as unrefined as it was.

“Wouldn’t my bed be a better place for this?” Akko said a bit too innocently, her eyes drinking up the pretty girl before her like a fine wine. “If we go back to the party, we can-”

“W-what are you talking about?” Diana’s eyes went wide and she looked away, a tidal wave of embarrassment washing over her, nearly drowning her. She forced herself to disregard such a crude statement, instead averting her eyes once more. Thankfully, the awkward silence was cut short by the sound of the door creaking open.

Chariot could already see that she would have a fight on her hands. She quickly shut the door with her foot, blocking the exit for the mortal girl. Chariot took a moment to devise a battle plan, before setting down the bucket of water.

“It’s nice to see you’re awake.” She spoke kindly, watching her tone. She’d coached Diana in tone and wording before they’d left Elphame, and now was the time to follow her own advice. She had to be sure that she didn’t do the mortal any further damage. Chariot chose not to question why Diana was sat atop the girl. “I’m sorry you had to awaken here, rather than the bed you fell asleep in. But I have a drink to help clear your head.”

Chariot located a cup from one of the cupboards, trusting Diana to keep the mortal down for now. She scooped enough water into the cup that it would negate the Elphame food’s effect on the girl. Once she’d drank the water, they’d be able to have a proper conversation.

“I don’t want to drink unless it’s at my party!” Akko insisted, beginning to struggle beneath Diana. Diana did her best to hold Akko still, her hands landing on the mortals shoulders, placing their faces almost uncomfortably close together.

“You have to!” Diana insisted, noticing that her Mother was clearly planning a sneak attack. Diana leant back, so that her mother would have the room needed, but kept her eyes on Akko’s. “You have to drink, the party’s over now.”

“No it’s not! It’s my pa-!” Akko’s words were cut off by her nearly choking on the water that Chariot had tipped into her mouth. But she swallowed most of it. Diana sat back slowly, glancing up at her mother anxiously. Chariot was chewing on her lip, waiting to see if the water had been enough. “Wh-where am I? And who are you?” Akko’s eyes landed on the endlessly beautiful girl sat atop her and for a second she forgot how words were formed.

“Thank goodness.” Chariot breathed a sigh of relief. She motioned for Diana to clamber off Akko, now that she wasn’t so much of a flight risk. Especially since Chariot could see that now, the biggest threat to Akko’s health was her having some kind of heart related event from having Diana atop her. Chariot chose not to think too hard about the fact that someone was viewing her precious hatchling in that way. Mostly because they’d only just rescued Akko, so it would be exceptionally rude for her to cause her any harm.

Diana was careful as she slid herself off of Akko and the table, moving to her mother's side once she had both feet on the floor. Without thinking, she curled her hand around her mother's fingers, gripping at her tightly. Chariot squeezed back, making a note to herself to treat Diana to her favourite meal, once they were home. She was clearly shaken. Chariot had _known_ that it was too early to let Diana anywhere near mortals and their world.

“Who are you?” Akko questioned, sitting herself up and frowning at the two women stood before her. Chariot sighed, turning her attention back to Akko.

“My name is Chariot, this is my Ha-daughter, Diana.” Chariot had quickly corrected herself to the human terms. She didn’t much feel like explaining how her daughter had come to be right at this particular moment in time. “You stumbled into Elphame, the Fae realm.” Chariot began, leading Diana over to the bucket, to fetch Akko another drink of water.

“Fae? Does that mean, I mean, are you two-?” The unasked question hung in the air. Chariot nodded, offering the cup out to Akko.

“Drink. You’re soon going to find yourself ravenous and dehydrated. It’s best to try and get out ahead of that.” Chariot explained. She’d seen what Fae food could do to mortals in the mortal realm, though this was her first experience of what may happen to a mortal returning from Elphame. No one else had ever gotten out before. Part of her was fascinated, but more of her just wanted to get home and put this behind them.

“The Fae treat all humans who stumble into our realm as trespassers, and sentence them to death. They get you to eat and drink our food, and that puts a fog inside of your head.” Chariot explained, before motioning to the cup that Akko was holding. “Drink, Akko.” It was safe to speak her name, now that her head was clear.

Akko raised the cup to her lips and sipped. Once the water passed her lips, she realised that Chariot had been right. She downed the cup, and the next one, and the one after that, until the bucket was empty, and she felt at least slightly sated.

“Had we not rescued you, you would have continued to party until you were dead. Memories of this time will come back to you soon.” Chariot continued her explanation. “Drinking something from your own realm broke the spell. You’ll be safe now, so long as you don’t go stumbling into any more Fairy rings.” Chariot chuckled, finding it rather amusing that a human had been stupid enough to fall for that. Especially now that she was safe.

Akko looked at Diana, before back to Chariot, frowning deeply. Diana, noticing Akko’s gaze on her, shrank back slightly, taking a half step behind her mother. Now that Akko’s life wasn’t at stake, Diana was embarrassed at how close she had been to Akko. Not to mention the way that Akko had flirted with her. She’d barely read about such things in books, never mind had it actually happen to her. At least, not from someone who was vaguely around the same age as her.

“Well, I think that about settles it.” Chariot said, nodding toward Akko, who still looked as confused as she did upon being snapped out of her trance. “Diana and I have to leave now and go back to the Fae Realm.” Chariot couldn’t think of anything else that needed explaining, and it wasn’t as if they were leaving Akko in some unfamiliar realm. This was her home, where she belonged. She’d be fine.

“Huh?” Akko scrambled to her feet, her heart dropping into her stomach. “No- no, wait, you can’t just leave!” How could those two- fairies or whatnot, just up and leave her alone in some random cabin. She had no idea where she was, what to do, or where her clothes were. And since when did she wear dresses?

“I’m sorry, but we can’t be away from our realm for long,” Chariot shook her head. “Besides, we’re already at great risk having rescued you.”

“But, I don’t understand anything!” Akko felt her stomach twist up, this time it felt hotter, like something was boiling inside of her. She tensed up, clenching her fists as hot tears began to bubble under her eyes. “You can’t just leave me! Please don’t leave me alone!” Her voice cracked and then broke into a sob, gritting her teeth together until her gums hurt. Her nails dug into her palms as the boiling inside her increased, making her tremble.

“Mother, she doesn’t look so well.” Diana looked up to Chariot with pleading eyes. “Isn’t there anything else we can do to help her more?”

“I’m afraid not, Diana,” Chariot said sadly, it pained her to see Akko in such a state, but surely she would figure things out. Diana was her greatest concern, and the longer they were away from Elphame, the more likely it was that they would be suspected as the ones who helped the Mortal escape. “I’m sorry.”

“ **No!** ” Akko’s voice rose to a shout. Shutting her eyes, she felt the uncontrollable rage inside of her ball up and explode. A loud gasp filled the empty space, and when Akko opened her eyes, she saw that a nearby chair had burst into flames, becoming nothing more than firewood.


	3. Adjusting Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chariot learns how the world has changed, and they begin to train Akko's powers. There's also the arrival of a new pair of annoyances in Diana's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh... entirely accidentally, the town of Llandulas that we've placed them in is relatively close to where LesboDyke's mother lives. So we're able to get actual info on the Village, even though basically no one else will notice if we weren't factually correct.
> 
> We all hope you enjoy the chapter!

Chariot had only slept for a few hours, the gravity of everything weighing on her mind. She’d left Diana in the nest they’d been sharing, and moved through the house silently. Long fingers traced over worn wood, remembering carving it from magic and the laughter that had sounded as the bows twisted and followed her desires. The house had taken more than a few attempts, because Chariot had been distracted over and over. She could still see some places where her intent had wavered and the wood had warped to the wrong shape. A weak smile spread over her when she noted how well everything held up over time. It was a good house, but a place she no longer belonged.

Despite this, Chariot couldn’t help the surprisingly heavy and empty feeling that had settled in her gut from taking hold of her. It wasn’t that she didn’t love what her life had become, but the longer she was in the mortal realm, the more she found herself missing what had kept her here for so long during her first visit.

There was no wavering in intent as she summoned herself a cup of warm and overly sweet tea, sitting at ‘her’ place at the table. The table was the one part of the house that Chariot hadn’t fashioned, and to her eyes it showed. Every flaw blindingly obvious. It wasn’t as smooth, nor as masterfully crafted. There were ridges and dips, and bumps that rose in places. And letters, carved roughly into one of the legs, hidden slightly beneath the ridge of the table.

‘C & C’

Chariot’s fingers traced the letters while she sipped her tea, allowing herself to be lost in the nostalgia during the silence. She couldn’t be sure of the exact time, but given it was still dark outside of the windows, and the birds hadn’t begun to stir, Chariot had to conclude it was very early. Which was good, it would give her time to travel to the nearby Mortal settlement and see what enhancements had been made while she’d been gone.

Chariot was already certain that she would have to remain in the Mortal Realm with the girl they had saved for a while. She’d never seen a human with magic before, let alone one so worrying performing everyday tasks. And Akko had assured them that she was human. Which left Chariot with a unique dilemma. And so far, short of undoing all their hard work and returning Akko to Elphame to face her demise, the only plan that Chariot had managed to formulate was to stay in the Mortal Realm and teaching Akko enough control so that she wasn’t going to cause great damage, or worse. She shuddered, remembering what she had heard about the ongoing witch trials when she was last here.

With her tea finished, Chariot vanished the cup and stood from the table. She could have easily summoned herself some new clothing, something warm to protect her from the notoriously bitter and harsh Welsh seafront weather, but Chariot plucked the cape from the stand by the door without thinking. Years of instinct forced muscle memory. In fact, it wasn’t until she’d finished casting the wards and alarms to warn her if someone within the house should stir, and had begun to walk that Chariot even realised what she was wearing. The material was rough and heavy, nothing like the dresses that Chariot was used to wearing, but it was comfortable and well worn in. Chariot lifted the hood, closing her eyes and imagining that she could still catch a familiar smell upon the fabric. Given it had been nearly two hundred Elphame years since the cloak had last been worn, Chariot knew that no scent could linger, but she allowed herself the moment to childishly believe that perhaps it could.

The forest ended abruptly. So abruptly, in fact, that Chariot nearly found herself walking straight into a wall. There hadn’t been a castle in the area last time she had been here, and the sudden appearance of one that looked so old was a shock. But Chariot recovered quickly, glanced around, and decided going over was easier than going around. She carefully began to scale the wall. As she began to climb, she cast her awareness outwards, magic brushing against wires that she quickly learned functioned a lot like her wards. Chariot focused, hanging halfway up the wall, and guarded herself, allowing her to slip over and into the castle’s enclosure without detection.

Chariot was careful as she wove her way through the courtyard, trusting her instincts to guide her in the right direction. There _should_ be a road nearby, providing the geography hadn’t changed that much in the time she’d been away. Spotting a paved road, Chariot didn’t think as she hurried forward to leave, which was how she found her hand sizzling and searing pain shooting up her arm. She pulled her hand back, stifling her cry of pain by sinking her teeth into her lip and letting out a soft whimper. The smell of her singed flesh reached her nostrils as the first wave of pain subsided. Iron. The gate was Iron.

“[Ffyc Fe](.).” Chariot cursed, cradling her hand to her chest and rocking back on her feet, wanting to put as much distance between herself and the gate as possible. With her hand injured, she had no hope of scaling the wall again to leave the castle grounds, leaving her with quite the dilemma. Magic would do nothing against Iron, and Chariot couldn’t risk further injury by attempting to squeeze through the bars.

Casting her eyes about anxiously, Chariot attempted to find another escape route. She paced along the length of the courtyard, worrying her lip between her teeth and trying to ignore how her hand was throbbing. She’d forgotten what pain felt like, and now that she’d been reminded, she wanted to forget again.

The pain distracted her enough that it took three passes for her to notice the wooden gate. Granted it was secured with a padlock, but it was wood. Sweet, safe, non-threatening wood. Focusing her intent again, Chariot didn’t bother with the lock, and simply walked at the wood. It felt almost like walking through a sheet of water, and as she opened her eyes again, Chariot found herself stood on the paved road she’d seen through the Iron gate. Spotting the lights that could only mean a mortal settlement, Chariot found herself grinning as she took off towards them.

Chariot slipped into the first house she found with relative ease. A ball of light was suspended above her palm, ready to be snuffed out at a moments notice. It took Chariot a few beats to comprehend what it was, exactly, that she was seeing. While she’d expected a bit of technological advancement in her absence, but the sheer measure and magnitude of change made her eyes go round. Being careful not to make a sound, Chariot moved to examine each strange new item that inhabited the room she was in. Once she was able to identify one as an oven, although it was an oven of strange design, she finally realised she was stood in the kitchen area.

With her eyes closed, and her ears pricked to hear any movement, Chariot focused on the appliances that she didn’t understand, casting her magic into them and exploring each wire and nook and cranny, gaining a true understanding of the machines. And as she learned, she realised that humans truly were an industrious race. The machines could perform the tasks that the Fae left to magic, such as preparing food and drinks, keeping things cold and even one machine that seemed able to heat food in an instant.

Once Chariot was certain she had a grasp on what was in the kitchen, she began to look through the rest of the house. Her feet didn’t move, she simply cast her magic outwards, as far as it could go. She found more machines in the next room over. A rather large and flat thing that made pictures, and a box that made music, as far as she could tell. And then up, through the stairs and into the bedrooms. Yet more machines, tiny and powerful and slumbering next to their human masters. Beds constructed with care, supporting mattresses made for softness and comfort, rather than the durability that straw provided.

Chariot couldn’t believe everything she’d seen, as she drew her magic back. Her head felt full with all of the new discoveries, and Chariot almost wished that she’d never returned to Elphame. That she’d been in the mortal realm as these things were made and discovered. Her fascination with the Mortals was quickly returning in full force, no matter how she tried to fight it.

Chariot slid into three more houses, although most of what she found was the same in each one. But she had to be certain that she had a true grip on what it was she would need to recreate in their own home. Especially given how Akko would need food, and she didn’t want to run the risk of feeding her food they’d summoned. She knew the effects of that food on someone who’d never been to Elphame, but for all she knew, if she fed some to Akko now, it would put her back in her trance and drive her back to Elphame. So it was safer to prepare food for her the human way.

Feeling mostly confident that she’d gotten the information she needed, Chariot began her trek back to the house. Dawn was only just beginning to break the horizon, and nothing within her wards had stirred, so all was still back at the house. Chariot’s hand throbbed, now that her brain wasn’t so distracted, and in the weak light, Chariot removed it from her cloak and examined the burn.

The palm of her hand was blistering now, a bright, angry red, and the skin around seemed to be stretched tight. Her fingers were also red, but thankfully seemed to have avoided the brunt of the pain. She knew it would be a few days before the wound healed. Chariot made a mental note to warn Diana of the castle and it’s dangerous gate. She had no plans on letting her Hatchling near the human settlement, but Chariot knew that Diana was curious and never missed an opportunity to gather more knowledge about things, especially what she didn’t understand. Too smart for her own good. Chariot loved this about her, while at the same time, it struck her with unshakable fear. There was always the risk that Diana would begin to feel brave and go out without permission. Should that be the case, Chariot wanted her prepared.

The journey back through the woods seemed to take longer than the one into town had, but Chariot felt that to be expected, given how she found a way to enter the woods that didn’t involve sneaking through the castle. Still, Chariot was relieved to find, upon her arrival, that her wards hadn’t lied to her. The house was still standing, and when she went upstairs to check, she found both girls blissfully asleep.

A smile curling her lips, Chariot moved through to the Kitchen, sitting back at her place at the table and beginning to focus her intent. It was time for an upgrade.

~~~

It was hot. That was all Akko knew. The dream had been confusing and strange and events flashed in and out faster than she could process them. Nothing made sense. All she could ground herself with was the rising heat. She latched onto the feeling until it was too much to bear, and everything around her melted away.

Akko’s eyes snapped open and were greeted with darkness, heavy and unforgiving. Too dark for her to find comfort in her surroundings, or lack thereof. All that had been in the room was a bed and a dresser. No windows, no colorful, flashy walk-in closets or collages of goofy polaroid photos strewn on the wall, no collections of Nintendo 64 games that had filled up an entire shelf in her room back home. There was just darkness and the smell of old wood mixed with another familiar scent. It made Akko’s stomach twist, both with longing and something else that she couldn’t quite place. Something that just felt wrong.

Akko sat up in the bed -- if she could call it that, since it was really just an old, bumpy, straw mattress with a couple of blankets tossed haphazardly over it. The hay had poked and pricked at her through her tee-shirt all throughout the night. She plucked the itchy pieces of hay from her hair and clothes, inhaling deeply and catching the scent of wood again, but the other smell was stronger now. Sobering up from her sleep, she realized exactly what it was.

Smoke.

Akko’s heart stopped for a moment, before kicking into a faster rhythm, hammering in her ears. Her eyes darted through the dark, frantically searching for the source of the smell. As she fumbled to her feet, she tripped over her own sheets and tumbled to the floor; cursing to herself, she untangled her sweat-soaked body from the fabric. The smell was stronger now and it burned when she breathed it in, the heat singeing at her nostrils and prickling the inside of her lungs. She couldn’t see it, but she knew that the room was filling up with smoke. Source still unknown, she kicked her legs free from the mess of blankets and swung open her door.

The panic rose further and further up from the well of her stomach. It was that hot, sick feeling she remembered all too well from yesterday. The feeling that made her want to scream and cry and even vomit. As daylight flooded the room, she could see the smoke dissipating out. Turning back, illuminated by the new brightness, Akko found the source of the fumes.

The corner of the old dresser was blackening, smoke swirling up from it with terrifying intensity. As soon as her eyes caught it, her entire body tensed, her muscles went stiff and her insides felt like they would melt into nothing. Akko wanted to scream at the pain rapidly building up from every inch of her body. And just as sudden as it came, the unbearable heat exploded inside her and the wood instantly caught flame under her gaze.

“Oh.” Was all Akko managed to say, watching in shock as the flame grew, flickering angrily in the sea of darkness. The pain was gone, and as much as Akko wanted to bask in the immediate relief, there was a new, bigger, problem at hand.

“Fire.” Akko muttered, before roughly shaking her head, her eyes wide with terror. “Fire... Oh snap, crackle, pop! Fire!”

She rushed out into the hallway, swinging open the door of the neighboring room, not bothering with the general politeness of knocking. It was an emergency, after all.

The room was almost duplicate to her own, interior and all, and on the mattress lay Diana, that pretty faerie girl whose face she had woken up to yesterday. Akko still felt a pang of regret over startling her then, but she would have to feel bad later. Still, she hesitated, moving over to the bed and hovering her hand over Diana’s shoulder, as if she were having second thoughts about waking her. Diana looked so peaceful as she slept, heavenly even, like she were from a dream itself. Akko felt a knot in her throat, the thought of disturbing her felt like a crime against humanity itself, maybe even the universe.

Smoke teased at her nose again, breaking Akko out of her (somewhat creepy) staring episode. Without giving herself another moment to think, she shook Diana’s shoulder, forcing words to come out.

“Hey- hey- wake up!” Akko whispered as loudly as she could, not wanting to scream at the sleeping girl. “Wake up! Please?”

Diana’s eyes fluttered open at the contact, finding Akko’s face in the shadows, scanning over her and taking her in. When their eyes met for a moment too long, Akko pulled away and took a step back, retracting her hands immediately.

“Hi- uh, sorry to wake you.” Akko said, realizing this was the first time she had actually talked to Diana after, well, her strange incident. “But um… my dresser is on fire, so...”

Diana shifted in her bed, slowly sitting up and tilting her head in confusion. The two stared uselessly at one another for a moment. Akko half-expected Diana to ignore her, or worse, tell her to ‘talk to the hand’ and go back to sleep. Fortunately, she just continued to look at her with sparkling eyes, a deep-seated intensity flickering within.

“I’m sorry?” Diana managed to will herself to say something to the frightened human lingering above her. “Could you repeat-”

“Fire. In my room. Right now.”

“...Again?” Diana yawned and Akko didn’t know how to politely tell her that it was kind of a big deal and that she should show a bit more urgency. Smoke began to trickle into the room now.

“Yes!” Akko was shamelessly staring at her now, waiting for her to get up and do something. “So, uh, help?” She widened her eyes. “Pretty please?” She added, as if it would further assist.

Diana rolled her neck and rubbed at her eyes, muttering incoherently to herself. Something about a dream was all Akko picked up from the low grumbling. Akko stepped away from the bed as Diana swung her legs over and stood up with a rather annoying amount of gracefulness. Flipping her flowing hair away from her face with her hand, she calmly walked past Akko without another word or glance. Like a small child, Akko sheepishly followed behind her, holding her breath as they disappeared into the smoke-filled room.

Diana’s eyes flicked over to the dresser; the entire top of it was on fire now. The ravenous red flames licked up toward the ceiling. She flipped her hair once more, some of it brushing Akko’s shoulder accidentally, and raised her hand toward the flame.

Setting her intention, she visualized the flame dying out and with the quick flick of her hand, it did as she wished. The flame appeared to fold over and snuff itself out, leaving nothing behind but a charred dresser. Diana sniffed and waved her hand again, the smoke clearing out and disappearing almost immediately.

“Now then…” Diana sighed, rubbing at her eyes with her thumb and forefinger. “Was that all?”

Akko’s mouth dropped open and her eyebrows knitted together in a mixture of awe and confusion. Awe from just how rad it was that Diana could do all kinds of cool magic-y stuff like that and confusion from how unbothered she seemed by the entire ordeal. Fae were really something else, weren’t they?

“Uh…” Akko’s brain hit the snooze button. “Yeah… thanks. That was tight.”

“It was what?”

“Tight. Like cool. That was cool.”

“Ah, right then. Goodnight.”

Diana mumbled under her breath before disappearing into her room again. Attempting to process Diana’s lack of worry or surprise at all, in comparison to yesterday, Akko stood in place, scratching at her head.

A minute passed and Akko hadn’t moved. Just as she was about to turn away from Diana’s door she heard a loud gasp from inside, followed by the quick patter of footsteps, and the door swinging open so fast it swept her hair sideways. Diana looked at her with wide eyes, as big and shiny and captivating as moons. She’d woken up enough for the realization to finally hit her, a tad delayed, but actually there this time.

“You set something on fire again! Gracious! We have to tell Mother instantly!”

Before Akko could protest, Diana snatched her wrist and pulled (more so _yanked_ ) her down the hall and stairway. Akko tried not to trip over her own feet, failing to pull her eyes away from Diana’s hand clasped around her wrist.

“D-Diana,” The name felt strange on her tongue. “What- what’s going on?”

Diana didn’t respond. Stopping at the foot of the stairs, Akko saw what had taken the words out of Diana’s mouth. The kitchen, (or that had been what Akko was told it was, considering it looked nothing like one: there had been no running water or electricity, just a stone floor with a wooden table and a few counters) it had been completely refurbished. There was now a refrigerator, stove, sink, and oven. All the things Akko was used to. But even these appliances seemed… different. They were shiny and looked way fancier and high-tech than the stuff she had back at home. Her eyes moved over to Chariot, who was sitting alone at the same wooden table. Akko briefly wondered why she hadn’t updated that, but the thought was soon forgotten when she heard Diana speak.

“Mother,” Diana said. Chariot looked up from her tea at the her daughter, and then down to her hand, which was still firmly gripped over the human’s wrist. Diana saw her mother’s eyes move and quickly retracted her hand, clearing her throat. “The human- ah- Akko, she had set her bureau on fire. It’s taken care of now, of course.” There was a moment of silence, and Akko watched as Chariot’s lips curled into an almost smile, her eyes crinkling in amusement.

“So that’s what the ruckus was. I did wonder.” Chariot stood slowly, her hand waving over the teacup, vanishing it from existence. “Was it alight when you awoke, Akko, or did you do it?” Chariot questioned. Despite her wording, Akko didn’t feel like she was being accused. She shrugged, biting her lip and trying to explain what had happened to her.

“I could… smell it when I woke up. But I didn’t see the fire for a while.” Chariot nodded, approaching Akko and resting a hand on her shoulder. As Chariot crouched, Akko thought how she should feel patronised and talked down to, but no matter how hard she tried, the feelings just weren’t coming. She glanced over at Diana, who was watching Chariot with interest, before turning her attention back to the Fae who was crouched before her.

“Akko, you’re clearly a special case,” Chariot began, keeping her voice level and calm. The smile never left her face, despite how unhappy she knew this would likely make Diana. “So, I’ve decided that until you have some control over your powers, we shall stay here and help teach you.” Chariot didn’t need to look up at Diana to tell she wasn’t pleased with this plan. She didn’t even need their bond, although she felt Diana’s feelings reverberating through it anyway.

Not giving Diana the chance to complain, Chariot straightened and squeezed Akko’s shoulder again. “Why don’t you go and look through the wardrobe upstairs. There should be enough clothes in there for you to construct an outfit, and then we’ll start our first lesson.” Akko nodded, seeming to be excited at least about the chance of magical training. Diana didn’t even manage to wholly wait until she was sure that Akko was out of earshot. She whipped her head back round to her mother, eyes accusing and her face set in annoyance.

“Mother! I don’t want to stay, I want to go home.” Chariot bit back a sigh, reaching out and tucking her Hatchlings hair behind her ear with practiced gentleness. Diana let out a huff, tossing her head to free the hair that Chariot had just set right. “I’m serious, Mother. I understand wanting to help the Mortal, but won’t we get noticed if we’re away from Elphame for too long? I don’t... “ Diana didn’t need to finish the sentence, Chariot could feel her fear.

“Hatchling,” Chariot started, unsure how she was going to finish the sentence. She had to find a way to comfort her daughter. “I know you’re frightened. I can feel it.” They moved in unison, not thinking about the action as they rested a hand on their own hearts, able to feel the string of magic that connected them, and would continue to for the next fifty years. “But we don’t know what Akko could do. She could be a real danger to the Mortal Realm, and if we leave her here and she does real damage…” Chariot trailed off, hoping that Diana’s sense of goodness would win out over the fear.

“I just… want to go home.” Diana admitted, deflating slightly. Chariot nodded, pulling Diana into a gentle hug. She squeezed her Hatchling tightly, smoothing a hand over her head.

“You can, if you wish. I can’t imagine it will take that long to train Akko.” Diana shook her head, still not ready to release her mother. Diana had done reading on the connection between parents and Hatchlings, and as she understood it, their connection was far stronger than most. Diana didn’t know why, but she knew that the thought of being in different realms brought her more pain than the fear of what might happen to them if their absence was noted.

“I’ll stay. At least until it’s safe for us to leave her alone.”

~~~

The sun made the forest friendlier than Akko remembered. Its light drew out the bright green in flora surrounding her. She took an opportunity to swivel her head around as the three of them trudged through the field, toward the sea of trees. Taking in the scenery and inhaling the fresh air, she appreciated all of it.

Akko hurried a bit to catch up with the naturally long strides of the two fae walking alongside her. It didn’t help either that she’d had nothing to eat since she had gotten back to her world. Her stomach growled angrily and she clutched her hands to her abdomen. Everything about this was weird: she wanted to go home, or at least call her parents and tell them she was okay. And now, apparently she had obtained some form of pyrokinesis, which she was definitely sure she didn’t have prior to entering the fae realm. She did remember watching _Firestarter_ with her mom a few days before she left. Maybe that did it? No. That would be silly. But, then again, everything that had happened up to this point was “silly” and so far, there were no better explanations.

Her train of thought stopped when her stomach rumbled again. Diana turned to look at her, twisting her lips with slight concern at the human grabbing violently at her stomach. It was a bit depressing.

Sighing to herself, Diana picked up her pace as they approached the edge of the forest. As fascinating as exploring the human world was so far, this whole ordeal was quite exhausting, and Diana really wanted nothing more now than to go back home. Of course, she felt a bit guilty on the human’s behalf, but there wasn’t much she could do about it. There was very little she knew about this world apart from what her mother had told her and if it hadn’t been the fact that she was simply too worried about being back in her realm without her mother, she could be back to comfortably reading her books by now.

Making their way through the trees, Akko did her best to keep close to the other two, without breaching too much personal space.

Chariot maneuvered through the trunks with an instinctual ease. It had been so long, but as they walked, every tree radiated a familiarity that ached at the back of her mind. Muttering to herself, she took care to push away any stray branches and warn the two girl’s behind her of any hidden roots among the leaf-covered ground.

After a few minutes, they finally reached a clearing of space in the trees. Chariot sighed in relief, smiling brightly.

“Ah.” Chariot breathed. “It’s still here. Good.” She touched one of the trees nearby, before turning to Akko. “Alright, I'd like you to go to the other side of the clearing.”

Akko nodded curtly, pushing back her urge to whine about getting some damn food in her system. She walked to the other side of the space and spun to face Chariot again. Diana still hadn’t moved, her arms folded tightly against her chest and her eyebrows narrowed almost threateningly.

“Diana.”

Diana huffed and moved over to lean up against one of the nearby trees. Akko almost wanted to laugh. She looked pretty cute when she pouted. Moving the thought aside, her eyes focused on Chariot again.

“Alright, Akko,” Chariot said, apperating a crude-looking, straw-made horse in the center of the open space. Akko managed to giggle this time. “Now, what I would like you to do is focus completely on the horse in front of you.”

Akko’s gaze snapped to the horse. Easy enough. Awaiting Chariot’s further instruction, her stomach growled at an ungodly volume, causing Akko to shift awkwardly on her feet. She was so hungry. And it was becoming hard to focus on anything else. She could go for anything right now, even instant ramen! Unfortunately, the thought of ramen only made Akko feel even more homesick. She missed her parents, her friends, and even just being back in Japan. It was just another reminder that she really had no idea where she was or how she was going to be able to get home. Feeling herself start to sniffle, she hurriedly wiped at her eyes and stared down the horse dummy in front of her, ignoring the growing ache in her chest.

“Okay. Now I want you to focus your mind.” Chariot said, moving around to the other side of the clearing, making sure not to be in the path of fire. “I want you to set an intention. Tell yourself you are going to set the horse on fire. Only the horse. Visualize it.”

Akko closed her eyes a moment, trying to picture the horse in her mind. It was shaky and wobbly, and she had difficulty keeping it still in her vision. She imagined it slowly smoking, before curling under the growing flame. As she did, Akko suddenly heard her mother’s voice and the horse vanished. She wanted to stop the thought, but couldn’t find the will to. The voice took form and she saw her mother in the living room of her home. Akko could see everything now, it was foggy, but clearer, like looking through a dirty window. Her mother sighed and her father placed a reassuring hand on her back as she hung up the phone, turning to sob into his arms.

_"She hasn't come back._ _The woman at the B &B hasn't seen her for days..."_

The piercing ache in her chest expanded and spread out rapidly through the rest of her body. It felt as if she, herself, was on fire. There was lava in her veins and endless inferno in her heart. But what overwhelmed her the most was loneliness. Alone. She was alone and it was all her fault. Everyone was worried because of her. She had made her mother cry.

Snapping her eyes open, she screamed at herself to fry the horse into a pile of ash. Incinerate, burn, destroy. She wanted everything to melt away.

Instead, the branches of the tree behind her ignited faster than any of them could blink, and the lush green flickered into a furious red.

Chariot’s eyes went wide, quickly moving her hands up and casting a ward toward the opening of sky above them.

“Diana! Take Akko back to the cabin!” Chariot yelled. Diana stood in shock for a moment. “Now!”

Akko slowly pivoted around to face the source of sudden heat. Staring at the tree that burst into flames behind her, she began to cry, falling back on the grass beneath her when the exhaustion set in.

“Akko,” Diana ran over, grabbing her arms, she pulled her back up to her feet. “Akko, hurry, let’s go!”

“Did I-” Time seemed to stop as Akko looked back at the trees surrounding them, watching them catch aflame faster than she could process. “Did I do that…?”

“Yes, now come on!” Diana snatched Akko’s hand again and pulled Akko back through the trees before they caught on fire.

Akko allowed herself to be dragged through the branches like a ragdoll, as her mind had gone cold. Whatever she had just done, had taken whatever energy she had left right out of her and it would only be a matter of time before she completely passed out.

Diana concentrated, remembering their path back through the trees. In her peripheral she noticed a strange blue ball of light. No. Two blue lights. They twirled around her head obnoxiously and she attempted to wave them away with her free hand. It was futile, as they hovered by one of her ears instead.

“Ooh, pretty girl!” One of the lights said.

“Yes! I like her!” The other responded. Diana waved at them again, and they evaded her hand. “Feisty!”

“More fun than the other girl.” Said the first again. “She looks half-dead!”

The childish giggling echoed in Diana’s ears. All she could do for now was keep moving ahead, ignoring the strange little creatures.

“Hey! Pay attention to us!” They both said in unison moving in front of Diana’s face, who batted at them with a more obvious frustration.

“Go away, you pesky things!” Diana finally said, slowing in her tracks. There was the sound of children whining and the lights grew bigger and brighter for a second before retreating, leaving two girls. Their hands were clasped, a lantern on either side of them, leaving them bathed in a light blue glow.

“You nearly hurt us with that fire.” The one on the left said. She had dark, black hair that fell past her shoulders and her bottom lip was jutted out just slightly. Diana realised that these creatures were just children.

“So you owe us!” The brown-haired one on the right added on. She wasn’t pouting, but she did look somewhere between annoyed and upset.

“I don’t have anything to give.” Diana pointed out, glancing back at Akko for a moment. The human, while thankfully still standing, was still looking rather worse for wear. “But… I suppose if you come back to the house with us, I could find something for you.” Diana watched as the girls looked at one another, before nodding. Their upset faces transformed into devilish grins, and without breaking hand contact, they moved aside and motioned in sync for Diana to keep going. Diana sighed, and continued to pull Akko back towards the house. Perhaps her Mother would know how to rid them of the spirits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feed us the tasty reviews! They are our only source of nourishment.

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews make us write faster.


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